Shut Down Your Inner Movement Critic

We have done ourselves a real disservice by labeling certain activities as exercise and others, as a matter of consequence, “not exercise.” As a result, I find most people have a very narrow understanding of what constitutes a sufficiently fitness-oriented activity to “count.” 

We assign value to certain exercises as “better” or maybe “more rigorous” than others. At its core, what people are really talking about is trying to pay for their food consumption with whatever physical activity generates the greatest calorie deficit. Why “pay” for your dessert with a gentle walk when you can throw a great big high intensity interval training session at the problem and get more calorie burn in less time.